Page 28 of Only for Me

“Oh, well, that makes sense considering how much he paid for the appointment. He never mentioned who he was when he called. Only that if I could fit him in, he would pay whatever. I’m also not a sports girlie so there’s no way I would recognize any of the Sharks players, or hell, any of the pro athletes. Well I do know Jabari because I baby proofed their house and that man is fine, fine. Kinnidi is sweet too and don’t play about that fine man either.” She grinned and I almost laughed. I knew exactly how fine Jabari Hicks was.

“Well if you’re into ball players, try for his best friend. Meyer just got divorced so he’s free game, because you’re right, Kinnidi don’t play about that man.”

She waved me off. “I don’t do celebrities. They’re pretty to look at but come with way more baggage than I can handle. I like my little simple life.”

I grunted and she flashed me a smile. “But you know about that, don’t you?”

“I’m learning.” I cut my eyes his way. “And please don’t mention any of this, I mean being here or us…”

She shook her head. “You don’t have to worry about that. The amount of paperwork I had to sign to accept this job made my head spin. I wasn’t sure why, but then again, people are funny about their kids and the privacy of their kids. It makes more sense now, why he requested me and not any of my staff.”

“You own it?”

“I do. Been doing this for six years, and regardless of what I signed, I would never share my clients’ personal details.” She walked to the corner and dug through a backpack on the floor, bringing a tablet to me when she had it in hand.

“For now we’re really just preparing for the next stages. I’m here to assist with putting a plan in place so you’re prepared when…” She paused and looked at me. “Avi, right?”

I nodded, appreciating her personalizing this experience. “We want to be prepared when Avi is mobile. Preventative is the best defense. I’ve done my initial walkthrough and there aren’t many major issues.”

“This was all his idea.”

“Mmm…” she hummed and glanced at Omiri. “Babies are more dependent on moms at this age. Dads often feel left on the outside of the bonds mommies share with the child. They’re providers and protectors by nature, so sometimes their decisions come off as over the top but it’s just their way of asserting their relevance.” She lowered her voice. “It’s never really just about the baby proofing.”

“What do you mean?”

“Daddies need to feel relevant and like they have some type of control. Avi depends on you for the majority of her needs. Food, security, comforts. He’s protecting as a way of finding his place in all of this. Their egos are very fragile.”

I grinned and looked toward Omiri. His massive body was upright now. Broad shoulders, massive chest spread wide, and thick solid arms that could crush a man if required. He looked confident, intimidating, and sexy. Not an ounce of insecurity but oddly enough I felt everything she was saying. He didn’t belong in our world, and considering the way I purposely excluded him and his little confession about making me suffer, I could completely agree that his little ego was bruised.

“Yeah, that’s some of it but things with us are a little more complicated.”

“Here’s my unsolicited advice. Babies are complicated enough. If Mom and Dad can figure out how to stay on the samepage, you’ll be a lot less stressed.” She winked then lifted the tablet.

“Okay, at this stage, the only things I truly recommend are outlet covers and cabinet locks—not just for medicine and cleaning supplies. Simple things can become a hazard. I don’t see any huge issues with needing corner guards. Your tables have smooth, rounded edges; so that’s good.”

Omiri picked the tables…

“But for the most part, our starter package will be enough. I can come back when she’s mobile and do another evaluation. I would also like to make sure all lower level items are secure. She’ll be pulling up on things soon and we want to make sure there’s nothing she can pull down on herself. Once she’s crawling, you’ll want to consider safety gates. You don’t have stairs, so that’s a plus, but definitely consider toilet locks.”

“Makes sense.”

“Do you have any questions so far?”

I shook my head gently. “No, I agree with all of this.”

“Great, we can start with the outlet covers. I’ll walk through and begin with those if you’re okay with me moving around in here.”

I felt comfortable with her. I actually liked Carmen, which I hadn’t expected. “Nope, I’m perfectly okay with that. My room is a little messy.”

“You have a four-month-old. If your room wasn’t messy, I’d be concerned. Oh, and maybe consider letting Dad feel like he’s in charge of all the safety stuff. Men need to feel useful, especially when navigating what it means to be a father. I’ll run everything by you but we can let him think he’s running this.”

I laughed and nodded. “Deal.”

She glanced at him then back to me. “Besides, you and I both know who’s truly running things around here.”

We shared a look and responded in unison. “Avi.”

She and I burst out laughing and Omiri frowned at us but kept growling angrily at whoever he was talking to.